The Case

A morbidly obese patient suffering from diabetes, asthma, and hypertension entered their local Texas hospital’s emergency department with chest pain, intractable nausea and vomiting, and a productive cough. Within minutes an Access TeleCare pulmonologist and an Access TeleCare infectious disease specialist were coordinating care with on-site teams in real time.

After a thorough review of the patient’s symptoms and medical history, the team recommended surgery. The patient underwent VATS Decortication in the local hospital to remove excess tissue and receive a chest tube, but an air leak was discovered and the surgeon was unable to identify the source of the leak.

The Care Plan

Access TeleCare’s specialists collaborated to develop a comprehensive care plan that kept the patient close to home for care.

Access TeleCare’s telemedicine infectious disease specialist customized a series of antibiotics to prevent infection and address the patient’s specific care needs, while the pulmonologist developed a treatment plan in collaboration with the surgeon to use a chest tube to drain the excess fluid and air from the patient’s lungs.

“The flexibility that Access TeleCare’s programs offer is crucial for many of the complex cases we see. When hospitals have access to two, three, four experts from different specialties, the breadth and depth of care they can provide increases dramatically.”

– Pritam Ghosh, M.D.
Access TeleCare Chief Medical Officer

Access TeleCare’s Results

Within two days of the operation, the air leak was resolved, and the patient reported significant improvement. Access TeleCare’s specialists continued to monitor the patient throughout their recovery, evaluating imaging and managing medications alongside the on-site providers.

Just seven days after surgery, the patient was discharged with a thorough follow-up care plan developed and managed by Access TeleCare’s specialty medicine experts.